Sundays hark a call to worship and gather for neighbors from down the street and up city limits.  However, Pastor Gail Kirkland and members of her congregation at the Church of God Family Worship Center welcomed some additional friendly faces from all over the world.

“We’ve got people here from Mexico, from Italy, from Brazil,” Kirkland said.  “From Houston, Texas, they drove all the way to be here together with us.”

On July 29, 2018, music, prayer, and praise bound the church and these visitors together as part of a ministerial movement taking the world by storm, called Kingdom Generation.

“It brings all of the leadership together,” Kirkland said. “So that they can be taught and encouraged in the churches and in the ministries that they have.”

The movement is headed by Pastor Gustavo Melo, who delivered and translated the keynote address in his fourth visit to West Virginia.  Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, he has planted churches in sixteen different countries, each represented by their colors in Sunday’s processional.

“It’s not just a conference, it’s a movement of God,” Melo said.  “We are not just going out to the nations, but we are bringing the nations here together with the same language to everybody worshipping.”

Melo and Kirkland believe this movement can be a global catalyst for faith in local communities like Beckley.

“Something is happening here in Beckley for sure,” Melo said.  “I think a breakthrough is coming from the Lord to this place.”

“It doesn’t matter what language it’s spoken in,” Kirkland said.  “It doesn’t matter what people group we’re talking to. God’s Word is true. It is valid and it works for everyone.”

While Melo plans to return to Beckley soon, Kingdom Generation’s next global event will be held in Israel next year.